Microsoft® Outlook® messaging software is an e-mail application program designed to function interchangeably with a Microsoft® Exchange server. Both store data in the same format. They both use a hierarchical style e-mail database. Folders and subfolders are created to hold e-mail messages, contact properties of different individuals and entities, calendar appointments, tasks and other related items that are stored as individual “records.”
There is a dilemma, however, when a client and server use a disparate storage format for maintaining data. Suppose, for instance, Microsoft®) Outlook® messaging software operating on a client device connects to an e-mail database maintained on a Domino/Lotus Notes sever by IBM®. The Domino/Lotus Notes server stores messaging information in a flat database where each property associated with an address is stored as a record in a single folder. Additionally, each record may have an associated reference indicating a folder or subfolder the record can be viewed by a user, nevertheless, only the single folder is used to store the record in the server e-mail database, despite the record possibly having multiple references.
On the other hand, as mentioned above, Outlook® messaging software maintains address properties in a hierarchical fashion with folders and subfolders. Each record is stored in the folder to which it relates, and there is no concept of using references. Accordingly, records received from a Domino server cannot be readily stored in a client database compatible with Outlook® messaging software, because the records are not in a format in which the client can store, and at a later time, read back and understand.
Thus, there is a lack of flexibility associated with open deployment of clients and servers running e-mail application software, where the client and server use disparate storage formats to store data associated with the e-mail application software.